NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kaufman, TX
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Kaufman, Texas since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 103 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 103
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
16 deaths in all
What the records show for Kaufman
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kaufman; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 69 miles away. The record near Kaufman begins with an unnamed storm in 1871; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 753 Texas cities on this site, 59% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Kaufman. The highest rating among the 103 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 29, 2017, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on December 26, 2015, killed 10 people. Of the 103, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on June 3, 2024. Of the 753 Texas cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kaufman. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 95 times since 1958, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Kaufman has more hail reports within 10 miles than 59% of the 753 Texas cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kaufman
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 13 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1961 | CarlaSep 12 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1947 | Unnamed 1947 stormSep 20 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 18 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 27 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1871 | Unnamed 1871 stormJun 5 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kaufman: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Kaufman
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s32(4 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s28(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s19(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 26, 2015 | EF4 | 23 mi | 13.04 mi | 10 / 468 |
| Apr 25, 1994 | F4 | 22 mi | 6 mi | 3 / 48 |
| Apr 29, 2017 | EF4 | 21 mi | 21.42 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Apr 3, 2012 | EF3 | 21 mi | 3.34 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 3, 2012 | EF3 | 15 mi | 7.73 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Dec 13, 1984 | F3 | 22 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 28 |
| May 5, 1978 | F3 | 21 mi | 29.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F3 | in town | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 4, 1959 | F3 | 21 mi | 27.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 25, 1970 | F2 | 7 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 29, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 7.24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 29, 2019 | EF2 | 15 mi | 4.01 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 103, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kaufman
The Storm Prediction Center has 95 hail reports within 10 miles of Kaufman since 1958, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 72 were 1 inch across or larger, and 10 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 24, 2011. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 29.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kaufman
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Terrell Municipal Airport, TX, 10 miles north of Kaufman at 475 feet. August is the warmest, with an average high of 96°F and low of 74°F; January is the coolest, at 57°F and 36°F. May is the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 38.4 inches over 53 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 103 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 35 nights a year. That 38.4 inches is more than at 197 of the 312 Texas stations used on this site (63%). Scurry, 9 miles southwest, has its own station (Ferris, TX): 41.0 inches a year, 2.6 more than here, and an August average high of 97°F against 96°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 36 | 2.6 | 4 |
| Feb | 62 | 40 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Mar | 69 | 47 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Apr | 76 | 54 | 3.1 | 5 |
| May | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Jun | 92 | 71 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Jul | 96 | 74 | 2.0 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 74 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Sep | 90 | 67 | 2.7 | 4 |
| Oct | 79 | 56 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 68 | 45 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Year | 77 | 55 | 38.4 | 53 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Terrell Municipal Airport, TX (475 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Kaufman
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 81 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kaufman: 60 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 flash floods and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on June 1, 1996. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 18. Of the 745 Texas cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 394 have had fewer than Kaufman.
April 26, 2024: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Kaufman — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Emergency management reported 8 inches of water into 4 homes in Kaufman.”
August 22, 2022: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Kaufman — $350,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Kaufman's ZIP code 75142 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1990, and were paid $627,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 42% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 433 Texas cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 25 have fewer than Kaufman.
Kaufman County, which includes Kaufman, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 4 hurricanes, 3 fires, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on May 17, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Kaufman County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for hail; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and heat waves; Relatively Low for strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $42.7 million a year, the 41st highest of 254 Texas counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.4 million (48%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Kaufman
- Scurry, TX9 mi
- Crandall, TX9 mi
- Terrell, TX12 mi
- Seagoville, TX14 mi
- Forney, TX15 mi
- Kemp, TX17 mi
- Wills Point, TX20 mi
- Ferris, TX21 mi
- Balch Springs, TX21 mi
- Mabank, TX21 mi
- Sunnyvale, TX22 mi
- Wilmer, TX22 mi
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